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A Population Census of Large Herbivores Based on UAV and Its Effects on Grazing Pressure in the Yellow-River-Source National Park, China

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  • Fan Yang

    (School of Economics and Management, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316022, China
    Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China)

  • Quanqin Shao

    (Key Laboratory of Land Surface Pattern and Simulation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China)

  • Zhigang Jiang

    (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China)

Abstract

Using the Yellow-River-Source National Park (YRSNP) as a study site, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing and line transect method was used to investigate the number of wild herbivorous animals and livestock, including the kiang ( Equus kiang ) and Tibetan gazelle ( Procapra picticaudata ). A downscaling algorithm was used to generate the forage yield data in YRSNP based on a 30-m spatial resolution. On this basis, we estimated the forage–livestock balance, which included both wild animals and livestock, and analyzed the effects of functional zone planning in national parks on the forage–livestock balance in YRSNP. The results showed that the estimates of large herbivore population numbers in YRSNP based on population density in the aerial sample strips, which were compared and validated with official statistics and warm season survey results, indicated that the numbers of kiangs and Tibetan gazelles in the 2017 cold season were 12,900 and 12,100, respectively. The numbers of domestic yaks, Tibetan sheep, and horses were 53,400, 76,800, and 800, respectively, and the total number of sheep units was 353,200. The ratio of large wild herbivores and livestock sheep units was 1:5. Large wild herbivores have different preferences for functional zones, preferring ecological restoration areas consisting mainly of sparse grassland. The grazing pressure indices of the core reserve areas and ecological restoration areas were 0.168 and 0.276, respectively, indicating that these two regions still have high grazing potential. However, the grazing pressure index of the traditional utilization areas was 1.754, indicating that these grasslands are severely overloaded. After the planning and implementation of functional zones, the grazing pressure index of YRSNP was 1.967. Under this measure, the number of livestock was not reduced and the grazing pressure nearly doubled, indicating that forage–livestock conflict has become more severe in YRSNP.

Suggested Citation

  • Fan Yang & Quanqin Shao & Zhigang Jiang, 2019. "A Population Census of Large Herbivores Based on UAV and Its Effects on Grazing Pressure in the Yellow-River-Source National Park, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:22:p:4402-:d:285661
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lindsey L. Sloat & James S. Gerber & Leah H. Samberg & William K. Smith & Mario Herrero & Laerte G. Ferreira & Cécile M. Godde & Paul C. West, 2018. "Increasing importance of precipitation variability on global livestock grazing lands," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 8(3), pages 214-218, March.
    2. Fan Yang & Quanqin Shao & Xingjian Guo & Yuzhi Tang & Yuzhe Li & Dongliang Wang & Yangchun Wang & Jiangwen Fan, 2018. "Effect of Large Wild Herbivore Populations on the Forage-Livestock Balance in the Source Region of the Yellow River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-18, January.
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